Judge Neil Gorsuch

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The 2016 presidential election was monumental in many ways. Maybe one of the most significant is the fact that the new president would get to choose who would fill the empty seat on the Supreme Court to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia who passed away just over a year ago. Supreme Court appointments are really among the most important and significant decisions that a president will make. At the head of the Judiciary, the Supreme Court has a great impact on the American system of government, on society, on laws, and on individual citizens. Given the importance of the high court, it is no wonder that the nominee makes for a contentious battle between political parties.

When Donald Trump won the presidency, many conservatives breathed a sigh of relief at the thought that conservative Justice, Antonin Scalia would be replaced with a like-minded justice. Scalia was one of the most conservative minded judges on the Supreme Court. He was well respected and unarguably extremely influential. He really got judges talking about and debating the text of the Constitution. His time on the court will impact generations to come. And his replacement was one of the biggest talking point for President Trump during the campaign. Within weeks of becoming president, Trump had put forth the nomination of Neil Gorsuch as his candidate for Supreme Court Justice. But who is Neil Gorsuch and what do we know about him?

Judge Neil Gorsuch was born on August 29th,1967. He is a Colorado native who attended Columbia University and Harvard Law School, and then clerked for Supreme Court Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy. He received a doctorate at Oxford University, worked at a law firm, and also worked briefly for the Justice Department. Up to his nomination, he had been a sitting judge on the Tenth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals after being nominated by George W. Bush.

His distinguished career and background are only part of what makes this nominee impressive to many. He has been praised by people who have clerked for him and by lawyers and citizens who have gone before his bench. He has been praised for his analytical mind and his thoughtful writing style. He believes in the rule of law and has declared his strong commitment to judicial independence when applying the law. He has promised to interpret the Constitution and apply the law of the land, rather than write or change laws. He is regarded as someone with honesty and integrity who is committed to his oath as a Judge. With so much at stake in these contentious times, it seems as if Neil Gorsuch is just the person to fill that honored but vacant seat left by Justice Scalia.